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Saturday, November 5, 2011

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: Week 7

GOOD WEEK: "REVENGE"
ABC's addicting new soap has defied all logic. It has been growing as a heavily serialized show. It has flourished in a slot that has been historically very difficult for ABC. It has been thriving in a year where it's been hard for dramas to break out. In its sixth episode, it posted its best numbers since the premiere and then this week, with episode seven, it posted even better numbers and reached a 3 in the demo for the first time since the pilot. People are responding in a big way to this drama as it has been very buzzy in online communities and that is being felt in the ratings because unlike many new serialized dramas, it seems to be on the upswing. I still question what will happen when the "summer" ends in episode 15 (not episode 13 as originally planned). But for now, ABC should enjoy the ride. It's a great show and people are captivated.

BAD WEEK: FOX'S RETURN FROM BASEBALL
Every October, FOX's schedule is thrown into chaos due to baseball playoffs and the World Series. Usually it's not a huge deal because FOX usually gets off to a slow start before American Idol saves it in January. This year, though, that was not the case. New Girl posted some of the best sitcom numbers FOX has seen in a very long time while Terra Nova and The X-Factor premiered solid but below expectations but were showing signs of stabilization. The schedule this year was complicated by rain delays and FOX's self-inflicted timeslots and as a result, Monday's House and Terra Nova and Tuesday's Glee, New Girl, and Raising Hope returned to series lows. It could be a fatal blow to Terra Nova and FOX better hope that New Girl can recapture some of its early season magic. If not, then baseball might not be worth it.